Baccarat, also known as Punto Banco is a casino game that originated in mid 19th century France and is now widely played both online and offline. It is a game that requires no technical skill and can be played by players of all ages.

The game is played with standard 52 card decks and each card rank is given a numerical value. Face cards (Kings, Queens and Jacks) are worth zero, Aces are worth one and all other cards are valued according to their pip value.

There are a number of variations on the rules of Baccarat, but all involve placing bets on one of three outcomes: the Player hand winning, the Banker hand winning or a tie. The aim of the game is to guess which hand will come out closest to a total score of nine, which is the most advantageous total for both the Banker and the Player.

Once all the bets have been made, the dealer will deal two cards to both the Player and Banker hand. Each hand is then tallied to give an overall Baccarat score. The hand that is closest to nine wins and any hand that is closer to seven loses.

When the total score is 0 to five or less, a third card is drawn and this counts as the ‘draw’ in the game. The hand that has a total of six or seven is called a’stand’ and the hand that has a total of eight or nine is called a ‘natural’.

The dealer will then tally the score and pay out any winnings accordingly. The house edge in baccarat is low and can be brought down significantly by making the right bets.

It is advisable to stick to the Player or Banker bets and never place a tie bet, as this will increase the house edge. The Banker bet does offer the lowest house edge but it will cost you 5% commission on your winnings. This is a substantial difference over the long term and is something to consider if you enjoy playing baccarat on a regular basis.

In some casinos, you can use the betting slips to adjust your bets for each round. This is a great way to try out the game before you start placing real money bets.

Once you have a feel for the game, it is time to start betting on the outcome of each round. You can choose to bet on the Player, the Banker or a Tie and then the dealer will do the rest of the work.

Before the cards are dealt, all players must make a bet on one of these options. This can be as little or as much as you like and must fall within the minimum and maximum table stakes displayed on the Baccarat table.

The dealing shoe moves around the baccarat table in a circular motion. It is moved around by a mechanical system that has been designed to reduce the noise in the room and create a more tense atmosphere.